The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-24
CRIMES OF THE MORMONS.
A Woman's View of the Villainy that
Prevails in Utah Territory.
Religious. Hypocrites Who Counsel Murder of
the Se-Called GentiIes-Miss Kate Fields
Elan for CELEBRATING Mormonism.

Cnurch was crowded with the most intelligent
people OF the city, to hear Miss Kate Field lect-
ure on Mormonism. But few women have such
vocabulary, and she is pleasant, impressive
and eloquent talker. In appearance she is intel
lectual. In beginning. she said, 81 hope I do
not lack humility in assuming that posses av-
erage intelligence. From childhood have been
more or less familiar with that great source of
education. the public press, and yet until two
years ago knew absolutely nothing of Mormon
ISM 1t is safe to conclude that facts connected
with $4,000 human beings who, while living I'M
der the American flag, are as alien to American
institutions as FIJI islanders. ought to be great
revelation
A more fendish paper was never drawn up,
the lecturer said. than the so called revelations
OF Joseph Smith. A god to promulgate such
villainy is as much worse than an accepted devil
as hypocrisy is worse than vice. Section %
READS thus: IF woman refuse to give other
wives to her husband it shall be lawful for MIN
to take them without her consent, and she
shall be destroyed for her disobedence" It is
not likely that woman will refuse her consent
under such circumstances According to an
other section you may lie, steal do all manner
of wickedness. except the shedding of innocent
blood. provided you have wives sealed to you by
the Holy Spirit. The Gentiles are not innocent
in the estimation of the Mormons Therefore.
1t Is no crime according to the doctrine
Of blood atonement, to shea their
blood II ordered to do so by the
church. Mormon women accept polygamy
AS cross put upon them for lost sin and future
exaltation. Mormonism fills the air with unem-
bodied spirits anxously waiting for feshy tab
ernacies wherein to do penance in order to Sc
cure salvation. and those who provide the larg
est number of tabernacles receive the highest
exaltation.
After giving her audience vivid idea of Brig
ham Young's anathema, which frightened the
women. in 1856, into submission, she recited
hymn of that glorious period. the refrain being
as follows:
"Ihen, OH let say
God bless the wife that strives
And aids her husband all she can
10 obtain a dozen wives"
The element of love in marriage was very
| strongly condemned by Brigham Young. 1t in
terfered with all his plans for the building up of
| the kingdom He told the women it was suf-
6cient honor for them to bear children to q
contempt Ask Mormon woman if she believes
| In polygamy and she will almost Immediately
| say yes" 1t is this professional belief that
staggers the travellers. He does not know the
| workings of the Mormon mind. He does not re-
alize the surveillance of the church, and the
| dural nature Of the sisterhood.
After many interesting anecdotes illustrating
the CHASTITY realities of polygamy and the preva-
iouCo VI looSo OiForCeS III Otdu, MISS rlelU gave
| the true inwardness of womans' voting in Nor
mondon. They were given the ballot, not to ben
| eft themselves but to strengthen Mormonism
Territory that has abolished the right of
DOVER that proclaims polygamy to be divine,
| that has no laws against bigamy and similar
| crimes, has no just appreciation of women, and
| is unworthy Of self-respectng humanity, woman
suffrage or no woman suffrage.
From the social crimes of the polygamous hi
| orarchy, Miss Field passed to the mysteries of
the endowment house. which she described half
the oaths, whereby those who took them became
slaves to the church and traitors to the United
States government. Tracing the scheme for
possession of temporal power from Joseph
Smith up to the present day. she maintained
| that 50 foul blot as polygamy was nothing less
| than treason. She proved her claims by the
records of history, quoting, at length, Brigham
| Youngs proclamation of war against the United
States in 1856, whereby United States troops
were forbidden to enter Salt Lake valley.
She spoke of the need of a national marriage
law, that will do away with special anti polyg-
amy legislation. Such law would not encroach
upon the domain of ecclesiasticsm. A marriage
| might be solemnized in accordance with any re-
lgon, but first should be in accordance with the
| law of the land, as in France This would be
| unconstitutional, the Mormons say, but it is not
Congress has full and complete legislative au
thoritv the people of the Territories and
all the departments of the Territorial govern
ment If Congress shall make no laws respect
ing establishment of religion, shall it bs
constitutional for mere dependency like Ter
ferring to the passage of the Edmunds bin, anG
said every good citizen should urge the Presi
dent to sign it, for 1t means the overthrow Of
theocracy in Utah.